


(i just want you to) dance with me tonight

by trustingno1



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Dancing, M/M, Touring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-06
Updated: 2014-05-06
Packaged: 2018-01-23 18:31:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1575317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trustingno1/pseuds/trustingno1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's possible that he's being a <i>little</i> unreasonable. Irrational, even. Like, maybe it's a bit rich of him to expect Liam to sit down and map out a - a fucking flow chart, or pro/con list or whatever it is that rational people do - in the middle of a show, but - <i>honestly</i>. Is Louis the only one in this band who uses his <i>brain?</i></p><p>It seems pretty straightforward to him: this is going to end with him grinding on his ex-boyfriend on stage, he's sure of it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	(i just want you to) dance with me tonight

**Author's Note:**

> Basically, I watched [this part](http://youtu.be/61QJjyVwv6I?t=24s) of Little Black Dress from the Peru show and ... fic happened. It is honestly just 1,700 words of silliness, centering around the "I want to see the way you move for me, baby" line in the song.

_May 2014_  
 _European leg of the Where We Are Tour_  
  
  
  
  
It's Liam who starts it, the _fucker_ ;  
  
"I want to see the way you move for me, baby," and Liam pretends he's aiming a camera at Zayn and Zayn purses his lips, all ridiculous _cheekbones_ and eyelashes, and Liam grins at him and turns away, and it's over before it really starts, but people are _filming_ this shit, and they've just - they've raised the bar, and that is _not on_ and if Louis hip checks Liam a little harder than necessary the next time he passes him, well.  
  
Liam? Liam has no-one to blame but himself.  
  
  
  
*  
  
  
So, OK, it's possible that he's being a _little_ unreasonable. Irrational, even. Like, maybe it's a _bit_ rich of him to expect Liam to sit down and map out a - a fucking flow chart, or pro/con list or whatever it is that rational people do - in the middle of a show, but - _honestly_. Is Louis the only one in this band who uses his _brain_?  
  
It seems pretty straightforward to him:  
  
1\. Liam and Zayn are going to run with this cutesy shit. It'll be fun and it'll be popular and it won't be _awkward_ (because they're uncomplicatedly best mates, not sort-of-former mates who kind-of-basically fell in love in a public loo (although, he does wonder about Zayn, sometimes. Not the loo part. But, hey, you never know. Maybe - and _Christ_ , he has a short attention span)).  
  
2\. Liam and Zayn being all playful means that he and Harry have to at least _look_ at each other, and probably do something similar.  
    2a. Not too much. People will talk.  
    2b. Not too little. People will talk _more_.  
  
3\. Louis hates losing. He and Harry will _not_ be one-upped by _Liam_ and _Zayn_.  
  
4\. More than he hates losing, he loves starting shit. And this has the potential to blow up _spectacularly_.  
  
Conclusion: this is going to end with him grinding on his ex-boyfriend on stage, he's sure of it.  
  
He _can't_ be the only one who sees it.  
  
  
*  
  
  
So, in their second night in Dublin, on the third repetition of the line (and if it's the one without 'baby', well. That's just his good luck), he stops dead and cuts his gaze over to Harry and sings it with _intent_ and Harry looks around, like he's not _entirely_ sure what the fuck just happened --  
  
and fair enough, really; it's nothing he's ever done before, on stage or messing around in rehearsals.  
  
(On the other hand; he did just _look_ at Harry. Like, alert the press and all that. Oh, how the mighty _fall_ and sometimes he impresses him _self_ with his dramatics).  
  
They step back, make way for Liam and Zayn to walk forward, and, Christ, does Zayn think he's on a runway or something? Louis might've sworn off shagging bandmates and everything, but he's allowed to acknowledge that Zayn is _terribly_ fit  
  
(and he's kidding, yeah? Not about Zayn being fit. That's definitely not a joke. He's still got eyes. But the shagging bandmates thing; _that's_ a joke. But not because he wants to shag one of the others, god. It's just - it doesn't suck quite as much if he jokes about it.  
  
Well. That's the theory, anyway. He's still waiting for the not-sucking-quite-as-much to start, to be honest.  
  
Any day now).  
  
But Liam and Zayn are just singing, nothing special, and maybe this _isn't_ going to be a thing, and there are days Louis doesn't even really get himself, because he _should_ feel relieved, but he's almost _disappointed_ , what the fuck -  
  
and, of course. Liam and Zayn finish the chorus with a charming synchronised hip thrust, and they're not facing each other, but as soon as they're done, they burst into laughter, and Zayn reaches out and tugs Liam over, squeezing him tight in a one-armed sideways hug and Liam' still grinning and Louis, Louis hates them _all_.  
  
(Actually, not Niall. Niall's just standing there with his guitar, hips under control. Niall is _lovely_. Niall can stay).  
  
  
*  
  
  
So staring at Harry's out, apparently. No mind. He has an _arsenal_ of moves to pick from.  
  
(He's all talk, really; the last night in Dublin, he chickens out and when Liam and Zayn are up front, he hides behind Niall and just sort of wiggles his shoulders at Harry while he sings "I want to see the way you move for me, baby," and sweet Jesus, Harry wiggles his shoulders _back_ on the repeat, all dorky, and he's half smiling, like he kind of gets what they're doing and Louis misses him so much he can barely _breathe_ ).  
  
  
*  
  
  
He goes bigger in Manchester; instead of taking the other side of the catwalk, he jumps in front of Harry and walks backwards - it's an _homage_ to a dance they used to do, when they were younger and sillier, he likes to think - and Harry plays along, crouching down a little, and it's only a couple of beats before they're stepping apart, back to their respective sides, but Harry's all distant, afterwards, pressing close to Niall and playing air drums instead of hanging back with Louis.  
  
Later, when they pause to grab their water bottles, Louis pulls out his in-ear, because Harry's giving him a _look_ , and Harry leans in close and says, simply, " _Don't_ ," and OK.  
  
That ... clearly could've gone better.  
  
  
*  
  
  
It keeps him up, that night, and maybe they should _talk_ about it. Like, obviously Harry thinks Louis' being a bit of a prick, but Louis' not entirely sure _why_.  
  
(If anyone was going to pretend they're too cool for _Grease_ now, it'd be _Louis_ ).  
  
They've done that on stage before, anyway (and in rehearsals, and at sound check, and just for fun, and he's always worried Harry's going to trip over his own feet when he's the one walking backwards - because honestly, Harold, if one of them's going to -  and one of first times they did it, just mucking about during _X-Factor_ rehearsals, Harry let Louis catch up to him, and he rubbed their noses together, all cute and breathlessly giggly, Harry's eyes scrunching up in the way they used to when he was really happy, and Louis hasn't seen that face in ages and fuck fuck _fuck_.  
  
Of course he's hurt. He thinks Louis' pissing all over his memories (and isn't that a quaint visual?). Or ... something. It's late. He's a singer, not a fucking therapist. But he's pretty sure he's right about _this_ ).  
  
And he doesn't complain too much, these days, about the life he leads. But at least most people get to have their awkward run-ins with their ex at a bloody Tesco or something, not on stage, every fucking night.  
  
But it's cool. They'll just go out and get matching tattoos and not talk about it some more. Whatever.  
  
  
*  
  
So he does nothing in Edinburgh (sticks to his side of the stage and he knows Harry's watching him and he just can't _win_ ).  
  
"I want to see the way you move for me, baby."  
  
Zayn bites his lip and walks towards Liam, rocking this catwalk shit for all it's worth, and Liam's eyes widen in mock surprise as he looks around, all, _Can you believe this?_ (the kind of look he gets when Zayn does a run he likes, which is pretty much every night), even though it's _obviously_ rehearsed.  
  
Fucking show-offs.  
  
  
*  
  
But Louis' nothing if not bloody persistent. And creative, he'd like to think. So he mixes it up a bit - forgets _Little Black Dress_ , for tonight - and as the lads are swapping sides of the stage in _Stronger_ , he stays put in the middle and holds out a hand for Liam and Harry to slap as they pass by.  
  
Liam - bless him, for once, Louis' decided (he can be benevolent, when he chooses) - gives him the low high-five, and Harry (so predictable, in the loveliest of ways) reaches out to follow, but Louis grabs his wrist, ninja-fast, just loosely, not hard enough to stop him, but enough that when Harry steps past, their arms stretch out between them for a long moment and Louis curls his fingertips into Harry's  
  
(and when Harry pulls away, he's smiling, all crinkly-eyed and hopeful).  
  
  
*  
  
It's their last night in _Wembley Stadium_. You _cannot blame_ him.  
  
They walk forward during the chorus, and he circles Harry, blatantly checking him out, and Harry smirks, before darting forward and circling _Louis_ , and this, this is _delightful_.  
  
They drop back behind Niall, and Louis crosses his arms and watches.  
  
In a move that _has_ to have been well-planned, Liam grabs Zayn's mic as Zayn presses up close behind him, hands low on Liam's hips. Liam holds the mic up to his shoulder for him, and they're still singing as Zayn all but fucking dry humps Liam Payne on stage.  
  
This is filthy. _He will not stand for it._  
  
It's the _not-losing_ part of him that takes over, and he jerks his head at Harry during the guitar solo, and they walk forward, swapping with Liam and Zayn again, which totally isn't how this dance goes, but it's not like their choreography's even been _that_ crash hot.  
  
 _(I want to see the way you move for me, baby)_  
  
He steps right up into Harry until his leg fits between both of Harry's, until they're all but straddling each other's thighs, and  
  
 _(I want to see the way you move for me, baby)_  
  
he rolls his hips and Harry's eyes widen suddenly, like he's either incredibly appalled or about to laugh, and he _knows_ Harry, even like they are, so he grins, and when he rolls his hips again, Harry moves with him.  
  
 _(I want to see the way you move for me)_  
  
His free hand lands on Harry's hip, and he rocks into him once, twice more before stepping away, and Harry stands there for a beat before he recovers, and Niall's laughing so hard he's bright red and Louis always _knew_ he liked Niall.  
  
(And, fine. Maybe part of it _was_ the not-losing side of him, but it was mostly the bits and pieces of him that fell _hard_ in love at eighteen.  
  
Partly the shit-starting side of him, too, if he's honest.  
  
But. Mostly the love thing).  
  
  
  
  



End file.
